An African Dream come true - living in Kenya!

Jambo ,

I'm glad you have decided to join me on this safari journey! I thought it best for my first newsletter to go back to where my adventure began.

Ever since I was a boy growing up in California watching shows like Daktari or Tarzan, I had always dreamed of going to Africa. A real thrill for me was coming out of a movie theater and some kids in the crowd thinking I was Jai from that series. My parents always stressed the love of animals and so we headed to various zoos. I especially remember going to the San Diego Wild Animal Park (present day San Diego Zoo Safari Park) and valuing the open space that the animals enjoyed. But nothing, of course, would beat seeing the Big 5 (elephant, lion, leopard, rhino and buffalo) in real life. That dream was realized when I married my Austrian girlfriend whose new job took her to Africa. 

This picture above brings back memories. Kenya was our new home and together with some friends, we headed to Nairobi National Park to celebrate my wife's birthday with a picnic.  Of course I had intended to document the occasion. Well, I got sidetracked. I proudly spotted this majestic lion in the high grass, and simply could not resist. It only took one click to realize that I was in trouble. Not from the lion, but from the look on my wife's face as the camera began to rewind. Oops, I was out of film. Oh, the good-old days of analog photography!

Want to see some of my safari photos, and many more to come, keep checking the section Travels on my website. Also, coming up in my next newsletter, catch the tale of our camping encounter with a hippo!

Two of my all-time favorite wildlife photographers are Beverly and Derek Joubert. Not only do they offer striking photos and film (especially of big cats) but they are also heavily involved in wildlife protection and conservation. For great tips from Beverly Joubert on how to photograph lions click here.

Currently, as some of you may know, I am full  on in marketing my debut children's book, Books For Benjamin. With this book I hope to instill the love of reading  and the value of libraries.  I am happy to report that my book has received a great many positive reviews and will soon be available in Spanish and other languages as well. 

As for my next project, it is well underway.  I am working (again) with an Ukranian illustrator, who, despite the current situation in her country, has been working hard to put the finishing touches on a nonfiction picture book biography about a lady who rescued orphaned elephants. More to come in my next newsletters.

The Hidden Life of Trees by Peter Wohlleben-

I love how the author, who is a German forester, presents the science behind the secret and previously unknown life of trees and their amazing networking capabilities. I highly recommend this book.

"What an eye-opening and fascinating read into the life and network of trees and how they defend and nurture each other. There is still so much to learn from our planet, and Mr. Wohlleben's expertise really hits the mark on why life on Earth needs our protection and further study." (from my Goodreads review)

That's all for today!

Until next time, 

R.G. 

p.s.  I'm off to Egypt (one of my bucket list destinations).